Weather determines when we sail, where we sail to – and whether we arrive safely. This essential pocket-sized guide, now revised for its second edition, equips the reader with all the necessary tools to predict and deal with local and distant weather conditions, whether on a day trip or a longer cruise, along the coast or further offshore.

Each topic is broken down into digestible chapters, explaining the origins and effects of the full spectrum of weather conditions, including:
- using and evaluating weather forecasts
- depressions, fronts, isobars and other coastal effects
- waves and swell
- weather lore and sky watching.

Meteorology is still advancing and sources of forecasts are changing. This new edition keeps the handbook up-to-date, with a particular focus on the increasing use of GRIB files, computer weather modelling and sources of forecasts, especially with the proliferation of computer forecasts becoming available free of charge.